How to compare Starlink and UK broadband quotes

Start with the connections you can order

Check your property in Ofcom’s broadband and mobile checker, then get a current quote from each realistic provider. Ask whether a wired offer is full fibre to the home or part fibre using the existing copper line. They are different connections even when both are described using the word fibre.

For Starlink, check the service address and scan a workable dish position. For mobile broadband, check the network and the place where its router would sit. If a local fixed wireless provider serves your area, ask for a property assessment. Our broadband comparison explains the different checks.

Six things to compare

Use these headings to compare the offers. If a provider has not stated a setup charge, ask before assuming it is free.

Compare the same 12 months, then the commitment

Add the charges due in each of the first 12 months to the one-off costs. Subtract a credit only where your order qualifies. If one quote has a longer minimum term, also add up that full term before deciding. A first-year total does not tell you what it costs to leave in month 13.

For example, an advertised monthly price that rises after six months needs two parts in the total: six payments at the opening rate and six at the later rate. Add setup costs after that. This is why multiplying the headline price by 12 can understate what you pay.

For an eligible Starlink referral order, the benefit is a month of service credited against month two. It is not a reduction in the kit or installation price. Starlink’s UK help says to start through the referral link, activate the kit and stay subscribed for at least two months. Our UK Starlink prices page shows the service cost with and without the credit.

Check what is causing the problem

Write down a small set of real tasks: a morning work call, an evening stream and uploading a large file, for example. This gives you something useful to compare against a headline download speed. Record when problems happen and whether they affect every device or only a distant room.

If only one room struggles, test near the router before buying a new broadband service. Weak Wi-Fi and a slow internet connection need different fixes. For a mobile option, test at the intended router location at the times you usually need it, if the provider offers a suitable way to try the service.

Before testing a new connection, read the order’s trial and return conditions and note the deadline. Starlink’s trial and its referral credit are separate. Keep any overlap with your existing service in the budget, and confirm how that old service ends before cancelling it.

When each option is worth considering

If full fibre is orderable soon and meets your needs at a good total price, put it high on the shortlist. If wired options are poor, weigh the mobile test or local wireless assessment against Starlink’s installation and quote. Read our closer comparisons of Starlink and full fibre, Starlink and 5G or Starlink and fixed wireless.

Starlink is worth a closer look when those local choices fall short and your dish can get a clear sky view. Once the installation, service and cost make sense, start your order through our referral link to get the second month free on an eligible order.